Immigration

United States Recognizes Venezuelan National Assembly Decree Extending Validity of Venezuelan Passports

By Sarah E. Amendola on June 22, 2019

The Venezuelan opposition-controlled National Assembly recently acknowledged the significant obstacles for Venezuelans in extending or obtaining new passports, and issued a decree extending the validity of already issued Venezuelan passports for five years. The U.S. Department of State announced on June 7 it will recognize the decree and accept Venezuelan passports accordingly. This is positive news for Venezuelans applying for U.S. visas and seeking entry into the United States, as their passports will now be considered valid for…

Inside Business Immigration

USCIS International Offices to No Longer Accept Form I-407 Starting July 1, 2019

By Michelle S. Velasco on June 21, 2019

Starting July 1, 2019, international offices of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will no longer accept Form I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Residence Status. On that date and going forward, all I-407 forms must be sent by mail to the address below. USCIS anticipates that processing of the form, from receipt to completion, will take 60 days or less, not including the mailing time to and from outside the United States…

EB-5 Insights

USCIS International Offices to No Longer Accept Form I-407 Starting July 1, 2019

By Michelle S. Velasco on June 21, 2019

Business Immigration Insights

USCIS Plan To Reduce Wait Times for Green Card Interviews May Not Succeed

By Suzan Kern on June 20, 2019

In October 2017, the Department of Homeland Security implemented Trump’s Executive Order, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry,” by requiring all applicants sponsored for green cards by their employers to be interviewed in person at a US Citizenship & Immigration Services office. The first batch of interviews were scheduled quickly, but over the last year, wait times have skyrocketed, now reaching 1 to 2 years in large metro areas. Waits for family-based applicants…

The Mobile Workforce

Agreement Reached on Proposed Immigration Legislation in the US Senate

By Paul W. Virtue on June 20, 2019

Given the opposition of the former Judiciary Committee chair, Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), who had blocked a similar bill in 2011, the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019 (S. 386) had been given little chance of passage until this week, when a deal was reached with the bill’s sponsor, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT), to include language to address a number of Senator Grassley’s longstanding concerns with the H-1B visa program. This Legal Update provides…

Ackah Business Immigration Law

World Refugee Day #WithRefugees

By Evelyn Ackah on June 20, 2019

World-Refugee-Day-2019-WithRefugees-Immigration-Lawyer-Evelyn-Ackah.png

Home Blog World Refugee Day #WithRefugees 20 June 2019 On #WorldRefugeeDay, held every year on June 20th, we commemorate the strength, courage and perseverance of millions of refugees. Established by the United Nations, World Refugee Day shows that the global public stands with refugees. This year, World Refugee Day also marks a key moment for the public to show support for families forced to flee. #StepWithRefugeesEvery year, refugees travel 2,000,000 km every year to find safety. This…

Immigration Blog

Administration Ups Data Collection and General Surveillance

By Otieno B. Ombok on June 19, 2019

The Trump Administration has been stepping up the collection of data in general and more specifically from visa applicants and travelers. Here are a few new policies: A pilot program has been instituted at the border that would include DNA testing and fingerprinting of children under age 14. USCIS is collecting biometric data from most applicants using the Form I-539 to extend or change their statuses. This includes all dependents, including children, of H-1B…

Immigration Blog

E-1/E-2 Treaty Visas Option for New Zealanders

By William J. Manning on June 19, 2019

The U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand, Scott P. Brown, has announced that eligible New Zealand nationals may apply for E-1/E-2 Treaty Investor Visas: “We’ve listened. And as of June 10, New Zealand business owners and New Zealand citizens essential to those companies are going to be able to reside and work in the United States like never before.” The E-1 visa is for Treaty Traders and allows a national of a treaty country (or countries…

The Asylumist

A New Foundation for Asylum Reform

By Jason Dzubow on June 19, 2019

In case you hadn’t noticed, the asylum system has essentially collapsed. A lucky few still have their cases decided, but they seem to be a minority. It is painfully clear that the backlog continues to grow. It currently stands at about 327,000 affirmative asylum cases and more than 908,000 cases in Immigration Court (how many of these court cases involve asylum, I do not know). The heart of the problem is mathematical: Too many applicants;…

The Asylumist